Downward Trending Sizes Monday, Jul 13 2009
Misc 7:29 pm
Hi Ladies,
First off I want to thank all those who participated in my first live chat session last Friday. It was a pleasure advising all of you on your innerwear issues! I thought I’d write this post to share one of the questions that was asked; it’s not a typical request for advice, but rather a factual question - why not switch things up a bit, right?
The question: why do some panty styles start at Size 5, while others start at 1 or even 0?
Well, the panty sizing scale was formulated over 50 years ago, and since then many apparel sizing scales have trended downwards. Some panty manufacturers did not participate in that trend and their scales still start at 5. Others did, and theirs start lower. Most brands have avoided the confusion all together by switching to a lettered scale (Small/Medium/Large/etc).
Now, why did apparel sizing trend downward? Some say it’s because of “Vanity Sizing”, an alleged marketing ploy designed to ”trick” women into feeling good about wearing a small size number, even though the product is actually bigger than that size number was years ago - or because the same size in a different brand is smaller. Do any of you wear the same dress size that you did 20 years ago, even though you have gained weight? Were you ever surprised to fit into a certain size in one brand because you could never fit into that size in another brand? Some call that Vanity Sizing.
Others do not agree that the fashion industry uses Vanity Sizing as a psychological tactic. They argue that sizing evolves to serve the best interest of the consumer by reflecting differences between brands and their respective demographics. For example, if a brand’s customer base grows wider over the years - as was the case in the US over recent decades - sizing should adjust accordingly. Or, they argue, if one brand’s customer base tends to be much thinner than another, its sizing scale should reflect that as well.
The concept of Vanity Sizing presents a big debate. Please feel free to add your comments - I know that sizing is something that everyone needs to vent about sometimes!
Best,
Marianne
